Truss pad



,Feb. 23 ,1926. 1,574,451

L. A. SMITH TRUSS PAD Filed Dec 9, 1922' ,2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEN1 OR WITNESS-v ATTORNEY Feb. 23 1926. 1,574,451 L. A. SMITH TRUSS PAD Filed Dec. 9, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR WITNESS f 6 ATTORNEY Patented Feb. as, 1926.

UNITED STATES I rattan PATEr FFECEE.

LUCIUS ANTON SMITH, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO BEE BURN SMITE, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

TRUSS PAD.

Application filed December 9, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUOIUS ANTON SMITH,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Truss Pads, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my said invention is the provision of a truss pad which because of its peculiar characteristics is materially advantageous over truss pads extant.

To the attainment of the foregoing, the invention consists in the improvement as hereinafter described and definitely claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification Figure 1 is a front elevation showing one of my novel pads as properly applied to a patient.

Figure 2 is a front elevation showing a portion of the human anatomy and also showing my novel pad as properly arranged for the amelioration of an oblique inguinal hernia.

Figure 8 is a section taken in the plane indicated by the line 38 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an elevation showing one edge of my novel truss pad-i. e., the edge that is designed to be arranged in parallelism with straight in the direction of the length of the pad and also in the direction of the thickness of the pad, and is substantially perpendicular to the side of the pad remote from the'patients body; said edge resting in use in a plane parallel to line 55 of Figure 2. A

Figure 5 is a section taken in the plane indicated by the line 5- 5 of Figure 2.

Figures 6 and 7 are views of the pad taken from different View points and illustrative of the portions of the pad that are opposed to the body of the patient; the pad in said views, however, being shown in substantially inverted positions.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the views of the drawings.

My novel truss pad is preferably, though not necessarily, a hard unyieldingpad, and

it is within the purview of my invention to form the pad of any material compatible with its purpose. Inthe embodiment illus trated the pad is provided with an outer and f5 preferably flat side 1 for arrangement re the inguinal canal, and that is substantially Serial No. 605,911.

mote from a patients body, and in the said flat side 1 is a depression 2, preferably of.

circular configuration for the snug reception and connection of a plate 3 and a circular wire terminal-4, the plate 3 being connected with the pad through the medium of screws 5 and 6, and the wire terminal f being snugly confined in the depression 2 and interposed between the plate 3 and-the bottom of the depression so as to be clamped and strongly held by the plate 3 and between the said plate and the pad. In this connection it will be noted that the snug arrangement of the wire terminal 4- which is of general circular form snugly against the side wall of the depression 2 contributes materially to the strength of the connection between the pad and the wire P comprised in the means for securing the pad on the body.

It will also be noted that the pad is provided in its side remote from the body of the patient with a groove 7 which. extends from the depression 2 to the edge of the pad and is designed to seat the portion of the wire 4t adjacent to the circular terminal 4 and by so doing tocOntribute to the rigidity of the connection of the pad to the wire 4:. This will be understood from Figures 1 and 20f the drawings, and by particular reference to Figure 1 it will be understood that an apertured tab 8 on straps 9 comprised in the securing means is adapted to be engaged with the screw 5 which is headed as illustrated.

The features described are material in the respects indicated. I would have it understood, however, that the chief feature of my novel truss pad resides in the portion thereof that is opposed to the body of the patient. This portion comprises among other features the edge of the pad best shown in Figure 4 and designated by 20.

The said edge 20 is substantially perpendicular to the flat side 1. and is substantially straight in the direction of its. length and also in the direction of the thickness of the pad, the latter characteristic being clearly illustrated in Figures 3 and 7 and the former characteristic being definitelyillustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 6. The said portion of'the pad that is opposed to the body of the patient also includes a longitudinal protuberance 21 that is in parallelism with and hu mediately ad'acent to the said ed e 20; As clearly broug. t nut in .ifigures 3, 5, 6, and

7 the said protuberance 21 is comparatively thick at the point 22,- which point is located adjacent to the edge 20 and is also located materially nearer theupper end of the pad when in use than the lower enc thereofi From the said thick point 22 of the protuberance 21 the portion of the pad that is opposed to the body of the patient is merged into the concavity 23 at the side of the pad opposed to the patients abdomen and is also merged into the convexity 2% at the' upper: end'of the'edge 20,and the= taper 25 that extends to the lower end oh the pad adj acent to said etlgeQO.

In theapplicatiomand use of the pad the substantially straight edge 20 thereof next to the thigh of the patient, and the concavityQSgoes next to the abdomen and hence makes for comfort and avoids pres sure upon the bladder. Iii-these connections it will be understood that the edge 20 substantially" perpendicular to the flat side 1 and substantially straight in" the direction of the length of the pad andalso in the direction ofthe thickness thereof enables the pad to bearagainst and closethe inguinal canal of the patient throughout the leng-tliof thesaid canal, and hence less pressure oh the pad" willadequately hold therupture which will manifestly condu'ce t'o' the comfort ofjtlie p atienti The said i edge,

20' cha rz'i ct'erized as stated: also renders: it feasible for" the fitting off the: pad closer to the upper endlof ithe inguinal: canal than is possible with pads extant}- When the:paol is arranged as stated relative to'the inguinal canal, the protuberance 21 -22 of thepad which-is parallel and closely adj acent to the edgeQOafi'ords thed'esired pressure against and necessary to close the inguinal canal throughoutthe'length thereof; From this it: followsthat closing:- of: the inguinal canal iseffe'cted by the-protuberance 21221o the pad and that the edge 20 of the pad render it feasible. an'd easy to so positiorrthe pad as to enable thepad to serve the purpose stated in' thef most effective manner This will be better understood whienit is stated that the: siihstantially. straight edge 20 is adapted to bo ip'ositione'd coincident with the inguinal furrow and 0d the inguinal ligament which en'aliles the protuberance 2* 22 toiactunost eilectively against the partiof the anatomy where the greatestpressureshould be applied, and this without interfering with: movement of the thigh or'beinge uncomfortable to the patientl It is well known. to surgeons: that the internal" ring or upper end v of! the inguinal canal: is the starting point oftoblique inguinal hernia, and :in' this connection iti willhe understood that the comparatively thick porti0n221ot the protuber'ance 21 is adapted to penetratefurther toward the interior of the patients body and-in. that way better acteupon the inner wall'of the" inguinal canalatthe upper end thereof. 'lhisgreat penetration of the coinparatively thick portion 22 of the protuberance 2-1 is-desirable-in the treatment of bad cases, and: greater or less penetration or pressure of the said portion 22 is brought about by adjustment of the pad as occasion demands. As will be understood from Figure 3the concavity 28 of the pad accommodates the pad to the abdomen of the patient and practicallydoes away with subjecting. the patient to discomfort incident to the use of the'pa'd. The said concavity also enables the protuberance 21-42201 the pad to better serve the purpose ascribed tothe said protuber'ance while the edge 20 substantially straight in the two directions indicated and substantially perpendicular to the flat side 1 in addition to the purposes ascribed to the said edge 2O permits free movement of the thigh oi? the patient without discomfort to the patient andwithout tendency to alter the position in which the pad is placed on the application thereof.

It is also-to be understood: that my novel pad is adapted to worlrsatislfactorily for direct inguinal hernia and for femoral hernia as well as-fo1" obliqueiinguinal hernia which occurs most frequently; also, that between theprotuberance-21 andlthe'edge' 20 the surface isressentially rounded.

Howeverniy" novell pad is designed more especially for the'am'elioration of an oblique inguinal hernia, as hereinbefore indicated, the pad being: positioned for suchspe'c'ific purposeasshown inFigure 2.

To effectivelyameliorate such hernia by preventing: the gut enteringthe inguinal canal 1 through the internal ring, it is essential to close the internal ringof theinguinal canali by pressing theouter wall of said canal inwardly against: the inner wall, the said ringibeing in the inner: wall,- andthe closure of the ring being efliectedby the-outer wall acting under pressure against the inner wall, great inward pres'sureinvolving consider able penetration at a point coincident with the internal ringzbeingrnecessary. It is also essential for practical results that the internal ring: he closed and kept closed as stated without subjecting: the' patient to great 'discomfort and pain My novel'pad is adapted" to accomplish the purpose stated without the infliction of discomfort or pain on the patient largely because of the edge 20 essentially straight lengthwise and crosswise, and the protuberance portion: 22, arranged relatively to the edge 20 and the remainder ofthe padas defined. This will be appreciated when it is stated that the edge 20 characterized as stated, stays of the ingi'iinal ligament, and off andjust above the pubic bone: and because' of'the latter avoids pressure against the spermatie cord and binding of said cord against the pubic bone and this notwithstanding the necessary great penetration under considerable pressure of the protuberance portion 22 at precisely the proper point. In addition to the provision just stressed for averting the subjection of the patient to discomfort and pain while the protuberance portion 22 and protuberance 21 are functioning as described, the pad has the concavity 23 and the taper 25 which contribute to rendering the pad comfortable and painless.

I have entered into a detailed description of the construction and relative arrangement of the parts embraced insthe present and preferred embodiment of my invention in order to impart a full, clear and exact understanding of the said embodiment. I do not desire, however, to be understood as confining myself to the specific construction and relative arrangement of parts inasmuch as in the future use of the invention various changes and modifications may be made such as fall within the scope of my invention as defined in my appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

As a new article of manufacture, an inguinal hernia pad with an outer side and also with a portion for use in opposed relation to a patients body, said portion characterized by an edge substantially constituting a plane straight in the directions of its length and width and lying substantially perpendicular to said-outer side, and by a longitudinal protuberance immediately adjacent to said edge, comparatively thick at a point near the edge, and nearer the upper end of the pad than the lower end thereof; the remainder of said portion being generally tapered from said protuberance to the edge of the pad remote from said plane edge.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

LUCIUS ANTON SMITH. 

